Orissa to face major environmental hazard; Sengupta

India

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Published: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 18:02 [IST]

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Bhubaneswar, Sep 14 (UNI) Central Pollution Control Board member B Sengupta today warned that Orissa would face major environmental problem in next five to ten years as large number of industries are coming up in the state.

Addressing a function organised to celebrate the silver jubiliee of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) here, Mr Sengupta said the environmental problem would mainly come from mining, steel, aluminimum and thermal power plants.

He suggested to adopt clean technology and take adequate pollution control measures to face the challenges.

The authorities must train the pollution board personnel with the latest technology to handle the situation, he added.

Giving an example, Mr Sengupta said in Jharsuguara alone the the aluminium industrial units would emit 31,000 tons of chloride, much more than the emission of all the refineries in the country taken together.

He said while the benefits of the industries were being pocketed by a few,it was the local people who faced the environmental problem.

Forest and Environment Secretary H S Chahar said the industrial units should comply with the pollution control norms as a part of their corporate social responsibility to check pollution.

Mr Chahar said the big industries coming up in the state would pose a number of problems like land acquisition, displacement, reahabiliation of people and the distribution of water.

He suggested to evolve a long-term action plan for the judicious and equitable distribution of water between agriculture and industry.

The secretary urged the scientists to find out ways how to dispose the huge quantity of fly ash.

He said 12 million tons of fly ash being generated in the state would now be doubled in next five years and called for a plan to dispose them of.